Rainfall
by BoyFlea
Summary: Awardwinning existential short story from Boyflea about love, loss and the weather. [Actual award not awarded.]


Rainfall.

Boyflea, March 2001.

Amended- July 2005:-

originally writien from "Ginny"

but now dedicated to FireSprite.

O fickle fate… J

See: "http/awards(dot)magicaltheory(dot)com/" for greatness!

Big hugs all. J

Ginny Weasley walked happily to her next class. It was her second year s Hogwarts and her brother Ron was trying to catch Hermione's eye. Hermione was oblivious to such attention, preferring the romance of the written word to the poetry of physical pursuit. Spring was in the air and the clear blue skies shone down on them all as they walked outside in the gardens of Hogwarts. Ginny was trying to keep up with the pair, but Ron kept shooting malicious glances at Ginny.

"You fancy her don't you Ron," wheedled Ginny. Hermione blushed and turned from the pair as Ron glared at Ginny.

"Beat it sis before I kill you!" he snarled and Ginny fled giggling.

Ginny ran through the gardens until she reached a bench. On this bench sat a shy and frail dark-haired woman who turned to smile at her. Ginny thought she had been crying so decided to check that she was fine.

"Hey there, what's up?" she enthused as her bottom crashed onto the bench next to the lonely woman. The woman did not speak, but turned to look into Ginny's eyes.

Ginny felt a wave of coldness crash throughout her. Her eyes were mirrored by the woman's opposite. They felt so close and yet they had never met. The woman reminded her of her mother, with the pale freckles on her nose. The woman smiled and ran her fingers through Ginny's hair. Ginny smiled and felt a warmth fill her cheeks. For some reason, Ginny found herself caught up in a warm cuddle with the woman.

As Ginny let her go, she heard Harry's voice far behind her. As Ginny looked away to check behind her, the woman faded into the gardens unseen.

Rainfall…

It was about to be the final year in Hogwarts.

Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had argued again. Ginny hated her. All of her brothers had tried to comfort her, but Ginny was not really a Weasley after all. Their love fell on deaf ears.

Adopted at birth, Ginny had been the unwanted child of a careless mother. Mrs. Weasley had always wanted a daughter, but Ron's birth had robbed her of the ability to have more children. Ginny felt worthless as the last term of Hogwarts started.

Ginny had much more to lose still.

Rainfall…

The war with Voldemort had ruined England. The sky was blood red and bloody rain washed the streets every day and every night. Toxins and effluence filled the air, mutating newborns and robbing life wherever it went.

Ginny stared at herself in the mirror. Her pale skin was threaded by tender blue veins. Her eyes were ringed black naturally. Her ribs were visible through her t-shirt and her body seems so fragile.

Ginny ran a brush through her thick black shoulder-length hair. She smiled at her reflection. Behind her and visible to her, Tom Riddle's blood still adored the tiled wall, meandering in rivulets to the floor.

Rainfall…

Mrs Weasley had her meal ready for when she came down. Mrs. Weasley had more than enough food for her only daughter, but Ginny never seemed to gain any weight. The pair had moved to London after Voldemort was killed, the Ministry had ensured the surviving Weasleys had a roof over their heads.

Ginny ate in silence and had not spoken in five years, but her mother did not mind. Her precious daughter was home and that's all that mattered to her. Ginny stared at the newspaper, but the words seemed alien to her. How Ginny wished she was back at Hogwarts. Five years had passed and almost everyone she had known and loved had gone, one way or the other.

Hermione and Ron were due any moment now, and Mrs Weasley was looking forward to meeting them. The house was beautifully laid out and everything was clean and tidy for the visit. Ginny sensed their arrival and leapt to answer the door when Ron knocked.

"Hi Ginny! Hi mum!" boomed Ron.

Hermione followed him in, and she gave Ginny a small but tender hug. "Hello Ginny."

Mrs Weasley sat the young couple down. Ron and Hermione had been married for five months now. Ginny knew that Mrs Weasley hoped deep down that her wait for grandchildren would soon be over. Today seemed to be a normal visiting day however and such news did not come forth.

"So, how's everything then Ginny?" asked Ron.

Ginny shrugged and smiled. Ron always brought her back presents from his trips amongst the muggles, and today was no exception.

"Here you are Ginny. I've gotten you a present."

Ginny always enjoyed Ron's presents, even though many of them were no more than teddy bears and chocolates. Ginny gasped upon seeing this one: it was an ornate hand-mirror with the word 'Erised' embossed upon its gilt frame. Ginny threw her arms around Ron and the pair smiled happily.

Hermione did not join in. She always seemed to be carrying around her paperwork. Ginny did not really know why, but Hermione had this big Ministry position and now she reminded Ginny of Percy.

Ginny thought of Percy and how he and her father had died in that mysterious explosion at the Ministry. The others talked as she drifted off. Staring into her mirror, she saw Harry's face once more. Harry had been her boyfriend. Hers and hers alone. When Harry finally defeated Voldemort, he had thanked Ginny for giving him the strength to win. When Harry had gotten Draco expelled, he had been so happy. Ginny was too as she had been beaten up by Draco repeatedly at Hogwarts.

Ginny stared hard into the mirror. She saw herself again, once more young and innocent wandering in the gardens at Hogwarts. She wished she was there right now. If only she could speak to her again.

Ginny saw the images blur and realised Mrs. Weasley had laid her hand on her shoulder. She stopped crying and smiled at the other three. They had obviously been talking a long time, for Ron and Hermione seemed to have finished their invisible meals and were ready to leave. Ginny hugged Ron and hugged Hermione as well as they left.

Mrs Weasley caught Ginny as she fainted from her exertion.

Rainfall…

Ginny awoke in her nice clean bed. Her naked body warm under the bedding and she felt snug. Her scalp was strangely cold and so, reaching out in the darkness beyond her black wig on its stand, she grabbed her cosy woollen hat and pulled it on over her bald head. Feeling better, she snuggled back into the covers and wished Harry were here.

In the darkness, Ginny heard Fawkes tapping at her window again. She was terrified of that bird. It could cause fires and had done so once before, when Ginny had lost all of her pictures of Harry. Ginny stood up in the room and padded over to the window. Taking her wand, she pointed it at the glass and tapped back. Fawkes was gone in a flash. To be sure, Ginny tapped really hard, but this cracked the glass. Her wand fell from her hand in shock. She dove back into bed as Mrs Weasley came up to see what all the fuss was about.

"Ooh Ginny. Try and get some rest please, there's a good girl." Ginny obediently fell asleep.

Mrs. Weasley picked up the wand. It was no more than a broken stick now, taped together for memories sake.

Rainfall…

Her radio alarm went off the next morning. "-eep. Beep. Beep. This is BBC Radio Four. It's eleven o'clock and now it's time for Woman's Hour…" She clicked the radio into silence and got up. No one ever played music at home anymore. Outside, the sky was blood red. It had been ever since the Death-Eaters had won their war against the muggles. Voldemort had finally been defeated, but the forces of evil had still won through.

The night when Draco had come into their room and burned out Ginny's tongue still haunted her most nights. That was the night that Harry disappeared as well. It was the not knowing his fate that scared Ginny the most. Outside, Dementors patrolled the streets, sucking the life from those caught violating the curfew. Ron and Hermione used to be in training to be Aurors until all Aurors had been executed. So Ron and Hermione now ran a magical supplies shop in Soho. In fact, many from Hogwarts have felt betrayed by the reversal in fortunes. Even Dumbledore was publicly supporting the new regime. Life in the muggle lands was so strange.

England had been isolated from the world in this vast toxic bubble. It made the sky a bloody red but kept the outside world fresh and clean. Hopefully the other nations would free this land soon. Neville Longbottom lived in Czechoslovakia and often visited her in her dreams. It often made Ginny all shy and sticky: how she loved his visits! He would show her images and scenes from normal muggle life out there and he wished he could return and free her from her prison.

They both realised that this was impossible.

Rainfall… 

Screaming again, the next night passed and Ginny was once more awake. Mrs Weasley was here to look after her and tend her needs. Despite all their magic, Ginny was dying of this muggle disease called cancer. Ministry friends and colleagues of her dead father were always looking in on the pair. Magic and muggle devices flooded Ginny's senses and body with strange and powerful charms and glamours. Outside, the red rain fell hard, rivulets splashing the window like Tom Riddle's blood on her hands.

Rainfall…

"This is BBC Radio Four. The time is eleven o'clk –" Ginny slammed her hand on the alarm and leapt from her bed. Rushing to her bathroom, she checked to see herself. Her skin was pink and warm. Her hair was long, frizzy and ginger. Her smile was radiant and shone. Harry stood behind her. Ginny turned to hold him.

"Come with me, Ginny," purred Harry's deep and husky voice.

Ginny got changed and Harry held her close.

"How…?" she managed. Ginny realised she was able to speak and laughed. "Am I dreaming?"

"No Ginny! Tom Riddle's has held you his prisoner these ten long years. He's alive again, having fed from your fears all of this time. I'm here to defeat him, but I need your help!"

"Oh, I see." Ginny smiled at Harry and held him closer. For this one moment she was happy. For this one moment the world worked again. For this one moment her life felt changed forever. The spell broke and time flooded back in again.

"We must hurry though. His minions are alerted! Come quickly! I have my broomstick awaiting!" he laughed. Ginny followed Harry out of her room and onto the landing. She almost collapsed in fright upon seeing the bloodied bodies of Mrs Weasley and Ron.

"Harry! Look!" she gasped.

"Look closer Ginny! They were both Death-Eaters!" Sure enough, the corpses were tattooed with the mark of treachery.

"But how did they die? Did you kill them?" trembled Ginny.

"What? Oh come on Ginny! Look!" Harry pointed at the bloodied cleaver in Ginny's hand. She remembered helping her mother dice up some vegetables with it once. Ginny dropped the murder weapon and collapsed. Harry tried to lift her up. Footsteps could be heard approaching from downstairs.

"Dementors! Quick Ginny! We have to get out of here!" screamed Harry. Ginny was confused, but she too heard the Dementors and allowed her instincts to carry her after Harry. Harry stood proudly on the window ledge astride his broomstick. "Room for one more?" he smiled.

Ginny stared at him, framed in the bloody window. The red rain falling hard and relentless outside. Her whole world was wrong. Everything she had known had changed. But Harry was back. Harry was back!

Gripping the Erised mirror in her hands Ginny climbed on the broomstick. She glanced in it and saw the Dementors closing in behind her, gabbling their strange language. Clinging hard onto Harry, she felt her feet leave the high ledge and as the red rain enveloped her, she relaxed and smiled.

Lightning…

The rain pulled everything splashing down.

Love lives on.

Thunder…

Ginny caught up with Ron and Neville outside Hogwarts. The two were kissing when she reached them. Ginny felt awkward, so kept quiet. Harry startled her by pouncing on her from behind. His laugh shattered her silence and banished the woman from her mind. She never told anyone what she had seen in the garden that day. Harry held her close as they went back into Hogwarts.

Glorious sunshine…

Disclaimer:

The characters and setting are all thanks to J. K. Rowling.

I claim no ownership of these characters, though the events they go through are down to me.


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